A year in review: Lawson research highlights from 2018
New clinical protocol after general surgery cuts opioid prescribing in half
Recognizing the role that opioid prescribing plays in the national opioid crisis, a team of researchers at Lawson and Western University have developed a new clinical protocol called STOP Narcotics. The protocol includes a combination of patient and health care provider education and an emphasis on non-opioid pain control. The study found that they were able to reduce the overall amount of opioids being prescribed after general surgery by 50 per cent while still adequately treating a patient’s post-operative pain. Read more.
Probiotics for respiratory tract infections could save Canada nearly $100 million a year
A recent study suggests the use of probiotics to prevent respiratory tract infections in Canada could result in nearly $100 million per year in savings. There is growing evidence that probiotics can reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections and lower their frequency, as well as reduce the duration of an infection, antibiotic use and absences from work. Replicating a research model used in France, researchers examined the potential clinical and economic impacts in Canada. Read more.
Blood test can predict optimal treatment for advanced prostate cancer, study finds
An international collaborative study between Lawson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Royal Marsden and Epic Sciences is one of the first to demonstrate that a blood test can predict how patients with advanced prostate cancer will respond to specific treatments, leading to improved survival. The study used a liquid biopsy test that examines circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood samples from patients with advanced prostate cancer who are deciding whether to switch from hormone-targeting therapy to chemotherapy. Read more.
Machine learning could predict medication response in patients with complex mood disorders
Mood disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder are often complex and hard to diagnose, especially among youth when the illness is just evolving. This can make decisions about medication difficult. In a collaborative study by Lawson, The Mind Research Network and Brainnetome Center, researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that analyzes brain scans to better classify illness in patients with a complex mood disorder and help predict their response to medication. Read more.
Lawson researchers receive $4.4 million to study personalized medicine at LHSC
Personalized medicine is the analysis of a patient’s DNA to predict how they will respond to medications. Led by Dr. Richard Kim, scientist at Lawson and clinical pharmacologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), researchers at Lawson have received $4.4 million to study an expanded personalized medicine program at LHSC that involves full integration of research into patient care. Read more.
Drinking more water does not slow decline of kidney function for patients with kidney disease clinical trial shows
A study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) by researchers at Lawson and Western University found that coaching patients with Chronic Kidney Disease to drink more water does not slow down the decline of their kidney function. Read more.
Funding for unique strategy to prevent homelessness after hospital discharge
On September 10, the Ministry of Families, Children and Social Development, announced that Lawson will receive $223,572 from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy’s Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream to support the project “No Fixed Address Version 2 Expansion” research project. This research will further refine the No Fixed Address strategy for reaching and supporting patients during the crucial transitional period when they are being discharged from the hospital and re-integrated into the community. Read more.
Synthetic surfactant could ease breathing for patients with lung disease and injury
Human lungs are coated with a substance called surfactant which allows us to breathe easily. When lung surfactant is missing or depleted, which can happen with premature birth or lung injury, breathing becomes difficult. In a collaborative study between Lawson and Stanford University, scientists have developed and tested a new synthetic surfactant that could lead to improved treatments for lung disease and injury. Read more.
Research team develops clinically-validated 3D printed stethoscope
A team of researchers have developed an open-source, clinically validated template for a 3D printed stethoscope for use in areas of the world with limited access to medical supplies – places where a stethoscope could mean the difference between life and death. Read more.
Family environment influences emotional well-being of children with epilepsy
Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of developing emotional and behavioural disorders, including depression, anxiety and poor self-esteem, yet it has been difficult for researchers to pinpoint why this occurs. Researchers at Children’s Health Research Institute, a Lawson program, have found that family environment influences the relationship between clinical characteristics of epilepsy at diagnosis and children’s emotional well-being two years later. Read more.
How the brain is folded provides researchers with an accurate marker to predict psychosis in high-risk patients
By using images of the brain to look at how its outer surface is folded on itself, researchers can predict which high-risk patients will develop psychosis with more than 80 per cent accuracy. Before now, there has been no way to examine young people before they become ill to reliably identify who will develop acute psychosis and who will not. Read more.
High-dose radiation can improve survival in cancer patients once thought incurable
Cancer that spreads from an original tumour to other parts of the body is generally considered incurable. In an international study led by Lawson, researchers challenged this idea by showing that high-dose radiation can improve survival in patients with cancer that has spread to five or less sites. The study called SABR-COMET was the first randomized phase II clinical trial of its kind. Read more.
